The Greatest Commandments

Summary

Two or
more children try to play a board game without rules, to reflect on the
need for rules.

Three
children dress up in school uniforms and answer some questions to reflect
on types of rules

The other
children answer questions to reflect on the difference that love
makes.

People

An adult
or older child to read the lesson.

An adult
(or more than one) to lead the discussions.

All of
the children to participate in the activities and
discussions.

Props

Bible.

A board
game with which at least some of the children are likely to be
unfamiliar, and which they couldn't work out how to play without being
given instructions.

School
uniforms for three children (e.g. a blazer or school sweatshirt
each).

Preparation

Set out
the board game on a little table in the area where you will talk to the
children, before they arrive.

Select
the children to take part in the activities at the time of your
talk.

Teaching Notes

Ask two
(or more) of the children to sit down and play the board game. If
they don't spontaneously ask for help then ask them why they haven't
started yet. Emphasise the fact that rules are important. Then briefly
"explain" how to play the game, in as complicated and confusing a way as
possible. Emphasise the fact that we can't keep track of rules when they
are too numerous and complex. At the time when Jesus was teaching, devout
Jews had over six hundred different commandments to follow. Jesus didn't
say that these were wrong. Of course it is important not to kill, steal
and lie! But he said that what really matters - what every other
important rule "hangs on" - is love for God and for our neighbour. He
freed us from all that complication by giving us a bigger picture on
which we can focus.

The rules
that Jesus gave us are special. Ask three of the children to dress
up as if they were at the same school. They have to imagine that one of
them is a new pupil. Tell them that you are going to give each of the
other two an instruction about how they should treat the new boy/girl,
and ask all the other children which of the two will be most helpful for
the new one. Tell one pupil: "This is N. S/he is new today. I want you to
look after him/her. Here's what you need to do: Don't kill him/her; don't
steal from him/her; don't lie to him/her; don't hit him/her." Tell the
other pupil: "This is N. S/he is new today. I want you to look after
him/her. Here's what you need to do: I want you to think about someone
you really love - someone like a parent or sibling or friend. I know that
you've never met N before, but I want you to behave towards him/her as if
you loved him/her that much, too." Discuss with the children how much
more creative and positive love is than the other rules. Of course they
matter too! But love frees us to do so much more.

Finally,
chat to the children about their special toys. Perhaps they could
each think of one they particularly like. Then ask them to imagine that
at school one day, someone accidentally breaks or loses that toy: they
saw what happened, and they know that it really was an accident, and the
other person has told them how sorry they are. Ask them to imagine first
that the other person is a stranger - someone from another class; and
then that the other person is their best friend. Would that make any
difference to how they react to what's happened? Bring out the fact that
there is no difference in what has happened - only in how they feel about
the two people. Love makes a real difference to how we treat other people
and live our lives.